


Fruitcake

by svana_vrika



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Christmas, Established Relationship, Fluff and Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-15
Updated: 2009-12-15
Packaged: 2018-01-05 15:31:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1095663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svana_vrika/pseuds/svana_vrika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sanzo gets caught in a sweet deception</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fruitcake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JennyB](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/gifts).



> Disclaimer: The following is written solely for fun, and no infringement is intended. Saiyuki and the scenarios and characters involved are the intellectual property of Minekura Kazuya.
> 
> No Beta. All mistakes are my own

Sanzo really wasn’t one for indulgences. Granted, he had to have his Marlboros, and he preferred Asahi to other beers- especially the swill that the kappa insisted was “the fucking nectar of the gods”. But beyond that, he really was a man of simple tastes. He had little use for gadgetry like I-pods and cell phones- unlike the saru, who was a typical teenager and thought the world revolved around the stuff. And while the kappa could spend hours being pampered and massaged in any spa they happened along, the very thought of having some tarted up woman (or man!) tend to his hygiene and grooming needs made the priest shudder. He could do his own finger and toenails, thank you very much, and he’d take his simple sandalwood soap over the shaving kit full of whorish smelling products the hanyou carried with him, any day. The monk required little in the way of clothing, save that it was clean, and he was as happy with miso broth and plain steamed rice as he was with more elaborate dishes. 

There was, however, one exception. And Sanzo fully blamed Hakkai for his addiction. Yes, addiction. After three years of denial, he could finally admit it- at least, to himself. 

The priest could recall his first hit as if it had been yesterday. They’d been driving for hours through the snow in the middle of Assfucking Nowhere, China, and after what had seemed like an eternity of listening to the saru’s incessant whining about starving to death, Jeep had finally rolled into some nameless, sorry excuse of a village. The berg hadn’t even been large enough for a restaurant, but there had been a bar and a store, and while Sanzo had held Gojyo at gunpoint to keep him from traipsing off after a beer and a floozy, Hakkai had gone into the shop to find something to shut Goku up for a mile or two. When the healer had returned, he’d handed his purchases to the two in the back, and then he’d dropped some cellophane-wrapped… _thing_ into the priest’s lap once he’d settled back behind the wheel. 

“For your blood sugar,” Hakkai had explained upon seeing his arched brow. “You’ve not eaten since breakfast, and the shopkeeper said it’s another two hours to the next town.” The brunette had given one of his laughs. “And the last thing we need is for your hypoglycemia to flare up and detract from the jovial mood you’ve been in all day.” 

It had been one of the _very_ rare times Sanzo had actually contemplated shooting at the healer- or at the very least, smacking him with the harisen. Hakkai was the _last_ person on earth who should be lecturing to anyone about being moody. The green-eyed male might fool the two bakas with that constant smile of his, but Sanzo knew better. You couldn’t bullshit a bullshitter. However, he’d managed to refrain himself, opting to roll his eyes and pick up the item instead. After a brief glance at the package, he’d given a disdainful snort and had tossed it back over to Hakkai. “I’d sooner let the kappa have his way with me than eat that shit,” he’d commented dourly, and then he’d turned and emptied out the Smith and Wesson’s chamber at the redhead upon hearing his saucy, ‘That could be arranged’. “I despise fruitcake.” 

“That isn’t fruitcake, Sanzo. It’s longevity cake. There’s a-“ 

“Bullshit,” he’d interrupted, pretending not to see the irritation flicker through the healer’s eyes at his rudeness. “Calling it something else doesn’t change what it is. Shitty fake fruit, moldy nuts and dry, flavorless cake.” His eyes had narrowed as he’d lit up a cigarette. “I’ll pass.”

Two hours later to the minute, they’d rolled into the next village, and while it hadn’t been as large as they’d been anticipating, it had at least had an inn and a diner. Once they’d eaten, they’d headed upstairs to the suite Hakkai had procured for them, and Sanzo had promptly sequestered himself in one of the two bedrooms, once again ignoring the exasperation he could sense from the healer as he’d left him to deal with the two idiots. 

Sanzo had awoken the next morning to the most delicious smell- something rich, sweet and delicately spiced mingling with the usual scent of Hakkai’s coffee. His stomach actually rumbling, he’d gotten out of bed and had padded out to join the others in the common room, smiling inwardly when he’d caught sight of a freshly iced confection sitting on the table amongst their usual breakfast dishes. He didn’t have an _overwhelming_ sweet tooth, but he did enjoy certain things, and it had been a while since Hakkai had been able to bake. Doing his best to maintain his perpetually bored expression, he’d settled into one of the chairs and had reached for the treat, only to blink when it had been whisked away before he’d even touched the plate. 

“Ah, ah,” Hakkai had said, giving him one of _those_ smiles. “You’d better not, Sanzo,” he’d continued as he’d taken a knife to the confection, the first cut sending a fresh waft of delicious scents into the air. 

“Why the fuck not?” 

“Because it’s fruitcake.” Hakkai had laid a piece of moist, rich cake laden with plump pieces of cherries, raisins and dates and succulent nutmeats onto a plate, and Sanzo swore that the bastard had deliberately passed it under his nose as he’d handed it to Goku. “And you made it quite clear yesterday how you felt about _that _. Besides, I’d hate for you to choke on the fake, shitty fruit or moldy nuts.”__

__By that point, Sanzo had been able to actually feel the smug sarcasm behind the healer’s placid expression, and though he’d also been able to feel the saliva gathering at the base of his tongue, he’d lit up a cigarette and had pointedly turned away from the decadent treat, deciding he’d much rather deny himself the pleasure than give the brunette the satisfaction. “Ch. Like the smell alone isn’t enough to make me choke,” he’d retorted snidely as he’d picked up his paper, and he’d proceeded to spend the rest of the meal doing his best to ignore the other three- a damned near impossible task given the way the saru had kept going on about how ‘amazingly awesome’ the fruitcake was._ _

__As Goku and Gojyo had devoured the treat, Hakkai had told them a bit about it- how the English had adapted the Roman version to create a pudding of sorts, one that was only eaten during Christmas due to the elaborate, expensive ingredients. “As ovens became more prevalent, the English started using flour instead of oatmeal, and that’s how the Christmas pudding became Christmas fruitcake. So you see, it really is a special treat- which is why you really shouldn’t eat it all in one setting.”_ _

__Sanzo had perked up at that, and when- despite Goku’s protests- Hakkai had taken the last quarter of the cake from the table, the blonde had watched discretely as the green-eyed male had put the remnants of his baking away. After making a mental note as to which knapsack the treat had been stashed in, Sanzo had turned back to his reading, a satisfied smirk briefly curving his lips upward. From that point on, it had just been a matter of waiting._ _

__His opportunity had come shortly afterward when Hakkai had announced that he needed to replenish supplies. The priest’s sullen silence over the breakfast table had paid off; neither Gojyo nor Goku had wanted to be left behind with him. Unfortunately, Hakkai had been in one of his penny pinching moods, and much to Sanzo’s disgruntlement, the healer had gently informed the saru that he wouldn’t be coming. However, a sulky monkey made for an inattentive one, and once the teen had skulked off to annoy Hakuryu, the monk had made his move. Within a matter of seconds, he’d removed the cake and had cut himself a slice, and though the scent had nearly driven him to madness, he’d made himself put everything back to the way he’d found it before he’d indulged. That first bite had been like a bit of Nirvana in his mouth, the moist, rich cake mingling perfectly with the decadent pieces of fruit and nut. And Sanzo had been a closet addict ever since._ _

__Fortunately for the priest, he’d had an unwitting enabler supporting his fruitcake habit. Goku might be a monkey, but when it came to food, he had an elephant’s memory, and as soon as the snow had started to fall that second year- and then the third- he’d begun his pestering. Though Sanzo had carefully kept up his ruse of being annoyed as fuck by the whining, he’d inwardly been grateful. He knew Hakkai wouldn’t ever deny the saru something he wanted so badly. All the priest had had to do was to continue to feign his indifference, and then sneak away his piece when he’d had the chance. It truly had been the perfect plan._ _

__And then everything had changed._ _

__Sanzo sighed as he glanced at the tiny cottage, his cigarette smoke wafting upward to mingle with the falling snow at the gentle exhale. A second later, a small smile curved his lips upward when he saw a dark head pass by the window inside the house as Hakkai moved about, shutting things down for bed. Yes, life had definitely changed since last Christmas. But, fruitcake aside, the priest felt it was definitely for the better._ _

__Just over seven months ago, they had finally completed their mission. After striking an impromptu alliance with Kougaiji and the others, the eight of them had managed to put a stop to Ukoku and Gyokumen Koushu’s attempts to resurrect Gyumaoh. The heretic-priest-turned-mad-scientist had escaped their final assault, and the efforts to free Rasetsunyo had failed, but beyond that, their quest had ended successfully. The treacherous she-demon had been taken out by Kougaiji himself, the minus wave had been stopped, and human and youkai alike were doing their best to get on with life- even if their coexistence was more uneasy than peaceful at the moment. Truth be told, Sanzo didn’t look for that to change anytime soon._ _

__About a month after the fighting had stopped- after they’d all had time to heal- the four of them had made their way back across China to Chang’an. Save for the occasional rogue band of Youkai, the trip had actually been almost pleasant, but Sanzo attributed most of that to Hakkai. Something had changed between them during their time spent at Houtou Castle. The green-eyed male had been severely injured during the last battle. He’d thrown up a barrier of Chi to protect Sanzo from Ukoku’s attack, and the power of the Muten scripture had literally sucked the life force from the brunette’s body. Even with Yaone’s assistance, it hadn’t looked as if he would make it, and the thought of a world without the healer’s bullshit smile and gentle sarcasm had shaken the priest more than what he _still_ cared to admit. Despite his own injuries, he’d maintained a near constant vigil at Hakkai’s bedside, torn between an almost aching worry and an unreasonable rage, and when those green eyes had finally opened, Sanzo’s first words to the other had been, “If you ever do something that fucking stupid again, I swear, I’ll kill you myself.” _ _

__Naturally, Hakkai had laughed, a soft, knowing look flitting through his eyes as he’d quietly apologized for nearly dying. Sanzo had turned away, using the guise of lighting a cigarette to hide his relief, but he’d been able to tell from the healer’s aura that Hakkai _knew_. The monk had said it before. You just couldn’t bullshit a bullshitter. From that point on, their relationship had been different, and though they’d proceeded cautiously, by the time they’d returned to Chang’an, they’d both known they belonged together as much as they wanted to be together. _ _

__That had been three months ago. Since then, Hakkai had taken a job teaching at one of the new orphanages that had been established to provide care to the youkai and human children that had been left parentless due to the calamity. The establishment was just over a mile away from Keiun Temple, and the benefactors had offered the brunette the little cottage he was living in now so that the healer could be on site to take care of any illness or injury that might crop up amongst the children. Concerned about leaving Gojyo to his own devices, Hakkai had demurred, but- much to _everyone’s_ surprise- the hanyou had offered a solution. Since Sanzo would be spending all of his free time boning Hakkai anyway- a remark which had not only gotten the kappa shot at but which had earned him one of _those_ looks from the healer- he’d suggested that Goku move into his cottage with him. _Sanzo_ had demurred then, and loudly, but the saru had actually stood up for himself and to the priest. He wasn’t a little kid anymore, he’d said. And he sure the hell didn’t want to go back to a life of skulking around a temple full of disapproving monks. After much heated deliberation and the promise of a slow, painful death if Gojyo involved Goku in anything even remotely illegal or weird, Sanzo had reluctantly agreed. The moves had been made shortly afterward, and by the time the snow- and the saru’s whining for fruitcake- had started again, life had settled into its current routine. _ _

__“Sanzo?”_ _

__The blonde looked up with a start, Hakkai’s call of his name pulling him from his musings. The priest watched for a moment as the snowflakes landed to sparkle in the brunette tresses like diamonds, and then he nodded and dropped the filter from his Marlboro into the ashtray by the door. “Yeah, ‘Kai. I’m coming in.” A softness reserved for his lover alone settled into his eyes as the healer clucked and fussed over him in the foyer, and once his snowy cloak had been removed, Sanzo contentedly followed the taller male into the small bedroom. He’d been lying before. He had two new addictions, now, thanks to the healer. But, seeing as one of them was Hakkai himself, the priest was having an easier time accepting a fruitcake-less future. He was still Genjyo Sanzo, after all; the denial would still be easier to bear than having to eat his words- even for Hakkai._ _

__~*~_ _

__A familiar, sweet, spicy scent mingling with his coffee drew Sanzo from his sleep the next morning, and for a long moment, he simply lay there, doing his best to stifle his craving before he got up. Eventually, he roused himself with a sigh, and after slipping into his jeans, he padded out of the bedroom and to the kitchen. A blonde brow arched when he found the room empty, and as his gaze shifted to the counter, his tongue subconsciously skated over his lower lip at the sight of the freshly iced fruitcake in all its glory. After another surreptitious glance around, just to make _sure_ he was alone, he closed the distance between himself and the confection, and he swore his heart rate increased when he saw that one of the corners of the loaf had broken free and was lying in a puddle of gooey sweetness on the plate. Even as he inwardly cursed himself for being so foolish and weak, he reached for the tempting morsel, and then his hand froze in mid air when he felt a pair of arms snake around his waist from behind. _ _

__“Now, now, that isn’t a very priestly thing to do. Especially on Christmas morning. Not to mention the fact that it would be quite inconvenient for you to choke on fake, shitty fruit and moldy nuts before you’d even started the fire.” Hakkai’s affectionate mocking brought a light blush to the monk’s cheeks, and laughing softly, the brunette lightly kissed the smooth, warm flesh. “Honestly, Sanzo, what _do_ you have to say for yourself, ne? And to think, for the past three years now, I’d thought it had been Goku who had been the snitch.” _ _

__The blonde turned slightly at that, his brow arching dubiously. “Really?”_ _

__“No.” Hakkai laughed again as he released the priest to take his hand and tug him to the table. “The only pilfering Gojyo ever did was from the liquor supply, and Goku would have never stopped at one slice, so I knew right away it was you. Probably.”_ _

__“Ch.” Disgruntled (and embarrassed!) at having been caught, Sanzo scowled a bit as he poured his cup of coffee. “If you knew, then why the hell didn’t you say something? Or at the very least, hide it better the second year?”_ _

__“Because.” A gentle hand landed on the priest’s shoulder as Hakkai used his other to set a slice of the warm cake in front of the blonde. “I wouldn’t deny you anything you wanted so badly, even if you _were_ being an asinine fool about it.” He softened his words with a light kiss to the golden tresses, and then he smirked as he took his seat across from the monk. “And besides, the thought of you sneaking around like a chibi after a forbidden treat was just too adorable.” _ _

__Sanzo’s blush returned, and deeper this time, and he shot Hakkai a glare over the rim of his mug. “You really are an insufferable smart-ass, you know.”_ _

__“Yes, yes. I know.” The brunette placidly stirred a bit of milk into his tea._ _

__“Anyone else would have been shot for what you just said.”_ _

__“Mm. I suppose you’re right.” When Sanzo didn’t reply, Hakkai looked up from his mug, and he sighed inwardly at the stubbornness in his lover’s eyes. “I won’t say a word to Gojyo or Goku, I promise,” he reassured gently. “Now eat it before it gets cold.” The healer smirked a bit again. “Or I’m sure I can find a knapsack for you to snack out of if you’d prefer it?”_ _

__Sanzo’s eyes widened slightly at the affectionate jibe, and then he couldn’t help but snort in amusement. “Baka.” After another moment’s hesitation, he reached for the plate, and then he looked at his lover again. “You swear, not a word, right?”_ _

__Hakkai chuckled and nodded, smiling widely as he watched the blissful expression settle over the priest’s features as he finally took a bite out of the cake. “Merry Christmas, Sanzo.”_ _

__The blonde slowly opened his eyes after savoring the mouthful of Nirvana, and the violet softened. Eating his own words might just be worth it if it meant he got to see that smile. “Merry Christmas.”_ _


End file.
